THE CHORAL HALL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12570, 3 August 1901, Page 8

THE CHORAL HALL.

—♦ r THE GERARDY RECITALS. The Choral Hall was all too smail to accommodate those who thronged thither last night to listem to the young ’celloist who comes to the colonies with tbe imprimatur of being absolutely the best instrumentalist who has ever visited them. Before eight o’clock the hall was filled, even the standing room being fully, occupied, and scores of people were turned away from the doors. It was a critical audience which had assembled, but those whos.oame to criticise very soon realised that they .were in the presence of a, musician, and a master who was be-' yond the scope of their criticism, and they promptly remained 'to do• something very like worship. New Zealand audiences are not used to the ’cello as a solo instrument, and that which assembled last night had little conception, of the possibilities of the instrument. Its exceptional range fits it for the production of effects not obtainable cn other instruments, and in the hands of Gerairdy, the ’cello simply sings. From the moment he laid his bow to the strings he held his audience with that .creepy stillness which cannot be assumed, and which is in many respects the highest tribute ot appreciation. The marvellous technique of tne roan was at once shown in his opening number by , the consummate ease witn which he played the difficult cadenzas of Haydn’s D Mwjor Ocncerto, whilst the tone he produced was bread- and sweet. But the principal charm of his music was the expression with which he endowed it, and he reared from the singing strings “lordly palaces of music,” which would have satisfied the soul gf even Abt Vogler. It is seldom that a Christchurch audience has been moved to so fervid a i display of enthusiasm. It simply rose at the player with cries of

“Bravo!- Bravo!” as the last strains of his ■first- selection died away. The . loud and unconscious invocation which echoed from onei open-mouthed and otherwise speechless enthusiast after a specially marvellous display of fingering probably expressed in a quite uinblasphemous epitome the pent-up feelings of. many of the audience. M. Gerardy varied his numbers with marked discrimination, bub in. no case did he descend to fireworks or trickery—it was pure music throughout, classical in theme and in construction, but full, nevertheless, of a peculiar charm. He responded readily to the storm of applause which greeted each number, and twice returned to play again, although the heavy programme must have been a severe physical strain in itself. His numbers and encores were: -—Haydn’s Concerto in D Major—Adagio, Allegro Moderate ; Servais* variations on a Schubert theme, “Le Desir"; “Aria do tre Jionui,” by Pergolese; aria from the suite in D, by Bach; Spinnlied, D Popper; Schubert’s “La Jeune Mere”; meditation on the first prelude, J. S. Bach—Gounod; Popper’s “ Tarantello, No. 11 ” ; and a serenade by Hauslitt. This, it will be seen, covered a wide range of music, and gave the player the opportunity to display the many brilliant, facets of his talent, Mr Laurence Phillip, who played Liszt’s “Rhapsodie No. 11,” as a piano solo, is also an artist of no mean order. He has a beautiful / touch, softer probably than that' of any solo pianist who has yet visited us, and produces an excellent tone. Nor is lie wan ting in energy and firmness when demanded, and his playing won him a pronounced encore. He responded by playing a pretty little morceau entitled “Tripping,” by Berger. His accompaniments were also excellently played. Mrs Burns was the only vocalist, and her rendering of the dramatic aria, “La Mia Piccarella,” was sweet and characteristically clever, and she, too, was compelled to return and sing again. To-night M. Gerardy will give a second recital, when an entirely new programme will be played. There was a tendency on the part of the audience last night to break in with applause somewhat inopportunely between movements. This is disconcerting alike to the player and others of the audience, and it is to be hoped it will not be again noticeable. •